Soap-holder



2 Sheets Sheet 2.

C. S. HIGGINS.

(No Model.)

SUAP HOLDER.

Patented Nov. 22, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

CHARLES S. HIGGINS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SOAP-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,599, dated November 22,1892.

Application tiled .T uly 14. 1892.

To @ZZ whom t may concern: i

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soap -Holders and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the Same.

My invention relates to soap-holders, and particularly to that class thereof which are designed to be placed in public places-such as hotel wash-rooms and the like-where persons are accustomed to wash in succession and to furnish to those using them separate cakes of soap of sufficient size to be used but once; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter to be described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention is an improvement on the soap-holder for which Letters Patent were granted to me on May 3l, 1892, numbered 476,014, and has for itsl object to provide means for automatically opening the soapholder when the same is brought into operation the next time after the delivery of the last cake of soap.

To this end my inventiony consists in placing a couuterbalanced releasing-pawl in the movable bottom of my soap-holder, which is so adjusted as to be held out of operation as long as any soap remains in the holder by the weight of the same, but which when the bottom of the soap-holder is moved forward next after the delivery of the last cake of soap engages with a locking-latch placed in the bottom of the hinged front of the soap-holder and unlocks said front portion, thus permitting the same to swing upon its hinges and render manifest the absence of soap in the holder.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which the same reference-numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and in which- Figure lis a front elevation of my improved soap-holder, showing the same open and the arrangement of the cakes of y soap therein. Fig. 2 is a Vertical section of Fig. 1, showing the locking-latch held down bycakes of soap and the form of and means of supporting said Serial No. 440,070. (No model.)

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the releasing-pawl in position to engage the locking-latch of the soap-holder. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modied form of my improved soap-holder, showing the same open and the arrangement of the cakes of soap therein. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of Fig. 5, showing the releasing-plate at the bottom of soapholder, the last cake of soap having been removed, in position to open the soap-holder when the bottom of the -same is again moved forward. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the locking-spring.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the soap-holder or receptacle, which is made of suitable dimensions to contain the desired number of cakes of soap and in crosssection is of a size to correspond to or approximate the contour of said cakes. Inthe present instance said holder or receptacle is represented as oval in shapein cross-section. At its lower front portion it is formed with the opening 2, which is of just sufficient size to permit of the passage of a single cake of soap at a time. The form of this opening also permits the two lower cakes to be separated in case they adhere, and thus provision is made for the easy and outward passage of all the cakes of soap from the holder or receptacle. At its Atop or upper end the receptacle is provided with the closed lid or cover 3.

The holder or receptacle is formed of the two equal-sized front and rear parts 4 and 5, which are divided vertically and connected by the hinges 6 at their junction on their left sides and fastened by the locking-latch 7 on their right or opposite sides. The lockinglatch 7 is pivotally attached on the inner face of the annular iiange 9, formed at the bottom of the front portion 4 by the pivot 8. Said latch is formed of two wings 7 and 72, the first of which extends out beyond the edge of the front portion 4 and is provided with the head 7 3. The wing 72 extends oppositely from the wing 7 and corresponds in curvature with the front portion 4 of the soap-holder. The spring 10, fastened to latch 7 near its central portion, bears against the inner face of the annular flange 9 and ,normally acts to prevent the head 73 of the latch 7 from being ICO pushed backward. The object in thus placing the locking-latch 7 in a recess formed on the inner surface of the front portion 4 is to insure the inner surface of said portion presenting a smooth surface corresponding in curvature with the curvature of the cakes of soap, so that said cakes may not he unduly pressed or mutilated when the portions of the soap-holder are closed together. A flange 9', corresponding to flange 9. is formed on the sides of the rear portion 5 at the bottom of the same, and on the inner surface of that side iiange into which the head 73of the locking-latch 7 passes is formed a lug 11, so that when the two portions of the soap-holder are closed together after said head 7is has passed said lug 11 the two portions will be rmly locked together and will remain so until said head 73is forced back out of engagementwith lug 11.

The bottom of my soap-holder consists of the movable plate 14, which is supported and held in position by the two downwardlyprojecting rods 15, mounted upon the transverse shaft 16,which shaft is journaled in the lower ends of the brackets 27,extendingdownwardly from the lower portion of the rear portion 5 of the soap-holder. Around shaft 16 is wound the spiral spring 17, which is secured at its ends to the rods 15 and which serves to draw the bottom 14 back into position under the holder after it has been moved forward to deliver a cake of soap. Said bottom 14 is also provided with the forwardly-extending ledge 1S, which serves as a handle by which to move said bottom forward, and is provided with the iange 19, covering the opening 2 in the lower front portion of my soap-holder, and thus preventing the soap from being exposed to dust, dirt, and other impurities of the atmosphere. It is also provided with the rearward-extending downwardly-cnrved portion 2 2, which serves to keep the cakes of soap in the holder in proper position when the bottom is moved forward and which is provided with a rib 23 for limiting the forward movement of said bottom. A ledge 22 is formed at the junction of the portion 22 with the bottom 14 and acts to hold and press forward a single cake of soap when said bottom is moved forward in the operation of the holder.

Centrallyof the surface of the bottom 14 of the soap-holder is formed the slot 26, through which plays the releasing-pawl 25, pivotally secured in the casing 24, formed on the lower surface of said bottom. Said releasing-pawl 25 is pivoted a little forward of its center of gravity, the heavier portion being toward the back of the holder, and isprovided at its front end with the fiange 29, on which is formed the rib of stop 28 for limiting the upward movement of said front portion. Thus when no weight is resting on the bottom of the soap-holder the front portion of the pawl 25 will project above the surface of the bottom 14, as shown in Fig. 3, the upward movement being limited by the lug or stop 2S, as before mentioned; but when weight is resting on said bottom the pawl 25 will assume a position level with the surface of the bottom. The weight necessary to bring said pawl into the latter position may be varied, as desired; but in practice I prefer to make it somewhat less than that of one of the cakes of soap con tained in the holder, so that as long as one cake of soap remains in the holder the pawl will be level with the surface. y

In the operation of my soap-holder said holder will be filled with cakes of soap suffcient in size for only one wash. rlhe front portion 4 having been closed and the lockinglatch 7 sprung to, the cakes of soap are removed from the holder separately by those desiring them by moving forward the bottom 14 by means of the ledge 1S. When, however, the last cake of soap has been removed, the pawl 25 is no longer held level with the surface of the bottom 14, but the front end of the same will automatically risc above the surface of said bottom and assume the position shown in Fig. 4. NVhen, therefore, said bottom is moved forward again, the releasingpawl 25 will engage with wing 72 of the locking-latch 7 and will push said wing close to the surface of the front part 4, thus withdrawing head 73 from engagement with lug 11 and opening the holder. Itis evident that this action will take place with great certainty and that the mechanism employed is very simple, easily adjusted, and cheap to manufacture.

The rear or hack part of the holder is provided with one or more brackets 30, having perforations through which screws or other fastening devices are passed for securing the holder to a wall or other support in vertical position; also, said holder is preferably made of metal and may be ornamented, as desired; also, it may be supported in any suitable manner, such as by an ornamental bracket or shelf instead of by the brackets hereinbefore described.

In Figs. 5, 6,and 7 I have shown a modified form of my invention,in which the unlocking of the holder is accomplished by a releasingweight 35, which rides down the holder, guided and held in position by the ribs 36, which project into recesses 35', formed in the weight 35, and which when the last cake of soap has been removed from the holder falls to the bottom of the holder iu'such a position that when said bottom is again moved forward the Weight will press against wing 72 of latch 7 and unlock the holder. A chain 3G, attached to the upper surface of the weight and passing out through the top and back of the holder, euables the releasing-weight 35 to be drawn to the top of the holder and held there while the holder is being filled.

It is evident that there may be other modifications of my invention, and I claim all such modifications.

While I prefer to construct my soap-holder IIO formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch for holding said portions together, of means for automatically opening said holder when the same is brought into operation next after the delivery of thelast cake of soap, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a soap holder formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch in the lower part of one of the portions for holding said portions together, of

a releasing-pawl placed in the movable bottom of the soap-holder for automatically opening the same when brought into operation next after the delivery of the last cake of soap, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a soap holder formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch placed in a recess in the lower part of one of the portions for holding said portions together, of a releasing-pawl placed in the movable bottom of the soap-holder for automatically opening the same when brought into operation next after the delivery of the last cake of soap, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a soap holder formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch in the lower part of one of the portions for holding said portions together, of a releasing-pawl pivot-ed in a casing on the under side of the movable bottom and having free vertical play through a slot formed in the movable bottom for automatically opening the holder when the same is brought into operation next after the delivery of the last cake of soap, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a soap holder formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch for holding said portions together, of a releasing-paw] whose front end is lighter than its rear end and is provided with a stop or lug for limiting its upward movement, pivoted in a casing on the under side of the movable bottom and having free vertical play through a slot formed in said bottom for automatically opening the holder when the same is brought into operation next after the delivery of the last cake of soap, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a soapholder formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch placed in a recesss in the lower part of one of the portions for holding said portions altogether, said locking-latch being formed with two wings, one of which is held pressed from the inner surface of the recess by a spring and the other of which is provided with a locking-head engaging when the holder if closed with a lug on the inner surface of a recess formed in the other portion of the soap-holder, of a releasing-pawl pivoted in a casing on the under side of the movable bottom and having free vertical play through a slot formed in said bottom for automatically opening said holder when the same is brought into operation next after the delivery of the last cake of soap, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a soap-holder formed in two portions, and provided with a locking-latch for holding said portions together, of a forwardly and downwardly movable bottom for the same, said bottom being provided with downwardlyprojecting rods mounted on a transverse shaft journaled in brackets projecting from the lower end of one of the portions of the soap-holder, and means for automatically drawing said bottom into a position under the holder after the delivery of a cake of soap, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a soap-holder formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch for holding said portions together, of a movable bottom for said holder, said bottom being provided with rods projecting downwardly from it and mounted on a transverse shaft j ournaled in-brackets proj ecting from the lower end of one of the portions of the soap-holder and being provided with a forwardly-extending ledge for grasping and actuating said bottom and with la rearwardprojecting and downwardly-curved portion provided with a rib thereon for holding the cakes of soap in proper position when the bottom is being moved forward to deliver a cake of soap, and means for automatically drawing said bottom into position under the holder after the delivery of a cake of soap, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with a soapholder formed in two portions and provided with a locking-latch for holding said portions together, of a forwardly and downwardly movable bottom for said holder, said bottom being provided with rods projecting from the same and mounted on a transverse shaft journaled in brackets projecting from the lower end of one of the portions of the soap-holder, means for automatically drawing said bottom into positionunder the holder after the delivery of acake of soap, and a releasing-pawl pivotally secured in a casing on the under side of said bottom and having free vertical play throughaslot formed in said bottom for engaging the locking-latch and opening the holder when the same is brought into operation next after the delivery of the last cake of soap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. S. HIGGINS. [L. s]

Witnesses:

IsAAc LUBLIN, WALTER S. BREwsTER.

IIO 

